


Irreplaceable

by Athena_Midnight



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Angry Sex, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood Kink, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Bondage, Bondage and Discipline, Choking, Denial of Feelings, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Play, Dominance, Dominant Masochism, Double Penetration, Edgeplay, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Face Slapping, Feelings Realization, Foursome, Hair-pulling, Headstrong Original Character, Humiliation, Humor, Inappropriate Behavior, Inappropriate Humor, Inappropriate Use of Special Powers, Jealousy, Knifeplay, Marking, Masochism, Multi, Multiple Orgasms, Multiple Partners, Obsessive Behavior, Orgasm Control, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Orgasm Denial, Original Character(s), Pervert Ghostface, Porn With Plot, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Sex, Praise Kink, Protectiveness, Reverse Harem, Rough Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Roughhousing, Sadism, Serial Killers, Sexual Humor, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Submission, Submissive Character, Threesome, Verbal Humiliation, Voyeurism, degrading
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:15:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29979297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athena_Midnight/pseuds/Athena_Midnight
Summary: Hailie is the newest survivor who is dragged into the Entity’s Realm. It is soon apparent that her skills within trials are unusual when compared to the other survivors, marking her as different…even feisty. It is that same fiery spirit of hers that inevitably cause four of the killers to notice her. With the fervent attention of Ghostface, Michael Myers, Pyramid Head and the Legion leader focused on her, Hailie finds herself caught amidst dark desires.She knows she probably shouldn’t indulge…but sometimes, the forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest…
Relationships: Danny "Jed Olsen" Johnson | The Ghost Face/Original Female Character(s), Frank Morrison/Original Character(s), Michael Myers/Original Female Character(s), Pyramid Head (Silent Hill)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. The Ghostface

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for choosing to read my story! :D I have worked hard on this one, and am excited to share it with you all!
> 
> Just a quick note: This story has many spicy moments, but I decided to take a slow-burn approach. This is because I wanted to develop the plot in a slow, practical way. So there won't be much action in the beginning, but don't worry, there will be plenty of spice in due course! :P  
> Also, feel free to leave any constructive criticism in the comments! I'm always trying to improve my writing abilities, and would appreciate any thoughts you may have on the story! :)  
> PS. I decided to have a bit of liberty regarding the free time both survivors and killers have in the story, as well as the settings in the different realms. This is simply to make things more interesting, humourous and fun :) 
> 
> Enjoy! :D

* * *

The loud cawing of a crow rang out into the night air, causing goosebumps to raise along my arms. My eyes wildly danced around the stalks of corn where I was currently crouched as I remained silent and listened for an indication of anyone nearby. After a few quiet moments I let out a soft sigh, my mind swimming with thoughts of my predicament.

Just two days ago I was living the life of a waitress struggling to pay bills each month for a crappy apartment. I still vividly remember the night of my last shift at the bar I worked at. I had said my goodbyes to the rest of the late shift staff, cracking a joke at Timmy about the particularly difficult customer we had to serve. With my few essentials in the pockets of my newly changed clothes and a bag carrying a dirtied uniform in hand, I made my way to my one-bedroom apartment just a couple of blocks away. The cold air of the empty streets had urged me to burrow my free hand in my leather jacket pocket and pull the material tightly over my form.

I was usually vigilant in watching my surroundings, especially considering the bad rep of this part of the city and the late hour. But my attention had been too fixed on my shivering for warmth that I hadn’t noticed the dark figure following me until it was too late. A pair of large hands had grabbed my hair, dragging me against them while they harshly insulted me. Out the corner of my eye, I had seen the glinting of a weapon and that’s when I made the hasty decision to fight back. I stamped on their foot and managed to swing my elbow behind me into a throat. The man gagged and his grip loosened on me completely, and I swung the heavy plastic bag at their face for good measure. I dropped the bag and sprinted down the streets, keeping an eye on the figure who had started pursuing me. With the knowledge of the familiar area in my mind, I had turned into every alleyway nearby in an effort to lose the persistent man. I was so sure I had lost him, running high on adrenaline too much to realise that an unnatural and thick fog had formed in my path. I hit the fog head-on and continued pushing on with breaths coming out heavier in each passing second.

What had staggered my attempts at escape was the sudden dense forest that greeted me once I had broken out of the fog. Shock and confusion had struck me to my core, though the adrenaline kept urging me to sprint ahead. I had been trying to fathom how on earth I had run so far in such a short time to be out of the concrete jungle of the city, when I broke free from the trees and crashed right into something. My body hit the ground hard and I groaned in pain at the sudden contact. My eyes widened when I saw a young man laying nearby with a few small logs of firewood scattered around him. He slowly sat up and grumbled, searching for his glasses and placing them back on his face. Once he saw me he jumped in fright, holding his hands to his chest in nervousness.

“Who are you?” he had frantically asked, taking a few moments to glance behind me as if he expected something to pop up.

My head quickly whipped around in apprehension of the figure who had chased me, but I soon turned back to the dark-haired man in front of me. “Hailie,” I replied distractedly, my confusion of the events making the adrenaline in my system fade. “Where are we? Someone was chasing me down, but I think I may have lost them back on 17th Avenue.” My gaze landed on the back wall of a wooden cabin a few feet away and I frowned at the sight. How had I ended up at a camping site when just a few minutes ago I had been right in the heart of the city?!

The facial expression of the man before me morphed into realisation and then pity. He sighed deeply and relaxed somewhat, looking into my eyes despairingly. “The Entity must have chosen you.”

I had immediately fallen silent, wondering if this man was pranking me in some way. Or perhaps I had fallen unconscious and this was some kind of dream. But the only explanation the young man, who I later learned was called Dwight, gave me was a gentle tug on my arm once he had collected the firewood. He had led me into a small clearing with a burning fire. To my surprise, at least twenty people were situated in a circle around the fire. From the light provided by the flames, the fresh wounds on some of their skin were visible. When Dwight and I were close enough, they all turned their attention to me with surprise, and then the same look of sympathy I had seen in the dark-haired man beside me appeared once again.

That night, they had explained to me that I was the new addition to their group of survivors in this endless loop of life and death. Something called ‘The Entity’ had brought me into this plain of existence through the fog I had run into beforehand and expected me to suffer at the hands of a group of killers. There was no way, I had told them, that any of this was real. Surely, this must have been a misunderstanding. The group of women and men alike simply sat there, while some shook their heads and others comforted me in their own ways. That night, they told me to forget my prior life for the moment and to focus on surviving this hell; it would be less painful, they said.

And now, merely two days later in this place, every cell in my body believed the stories that the other survivors had shared with me. Already I had been at the mercy of a few killers and had the various unpleasant experiences of dying on hooks. The pain is an agony I know I wouldn’t soon forget. The others were right – this certainly was a hellish place.

Loud footsteps brought me back to the present and I quickly glanced around to see a head of golden curls poke out the closest corn stalks. Kate gave me a sweet smile and asked, “You alright, darlin’?”

I gave a small smile back to the fellow female survivor and answered, “Yeah, I’m okay.” Kate had been the most welcoming of the group when I had arrived and had always offered me kind and positive advice. I was grateful to have her around, especially during my forlorn moments. Her cheerful songs around the fireplace on our breaks from the trials also helped lift my mood often.

Kate rubbed my back in a caring manner. “I’m gonna look for a chest. You’re doing mighty fine, Hailie. Keep sticking low to the ground.”

With that, she disappeared into the cornfield, leaving me with a small flame of hope inside my chest. Kate was right – I needed to be careful and keep crouching. Maybe this could be my second time lucky in escaping through the exit gates.

My feet carefully carried me across the field as I kept a watchful gaze for any killers. More generators needed to be completed, and I needed to find one to work on. The decrepit building of the Thompson House a little distance from me caught my attention, and I decided that would be an ideal area to find any gennies.

The house had an uneasy aura about it, with its half-broken walls and rotting wood on the staircase inside. Broken lightbulbs hung from the ceiling of the ground floor and I was cautious of treading on any debris or broken floorboards. I poked my head around each room on the lower floor and only found a few lockers. As I got up from my crouching position, the sound of chugging and unstable mechanics sounded from above one of the rooms. My lips lifted in a satisfactory grin. There was a generator upstairs. With a small pep in my step, I eagerly crept up the staircase of the house. My gaze swept over the darkened upper floor as I reached the top step, and I crouched once again to remain silent. The generator was close by, possibly in one of the two rooms I could see. I crept closer to the sounds of the machine and was surprised to find it just outside one of the rooms in the main hallway. The flame of hope in my chest grew brighter and I rushed past a stack of boxes to the gen, cringing a little when my sneakers caused the floorboards to creak loudly. I listened for the distinct sound of a heartbeat and started working on the generator when I heard none.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the generator had already been halfway completed by someone. Maybe they got interrupted with their progress? It didn’t matter – it only made things easier for me. My hands fidgeted with the various wires of the generator and I concentrated solely on repairing it with furrowed brows. A small creak of wood registered through my hearing, but I dismissively chalked it up to the natural settling sounds of the old house. The generator’s progress was steadily climbing higher and I grinned, feeling more hopeful of escaping this trial. Although, it was almost as if something was mocking my hopeful emotions as a spark from one of the wires connected with my index finger.

I quickly pulled my hand away and huffed irritably, “Shit.” My wrist rolled inwards and I inspected my finger for a moment for any damage, mentally cursing the Entity once again for bringing me here. The unexpected moment of pain was perhaps a blessing in disguise, as my senses suddenly caught a muffled chuckle. A quick bright light flashed and the sharp sound of a shutter alerted me further, and I jumped up in fright.

“Well, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes!” A distorted voice rang out, causing me to sharply turn and look around.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the upper floor hallway. But the sight of black strips of fabric hovering behind the stack of boxes a few feet away made me gasp in fright. My attention then caught the obvious white ghost mask that was peeping at me from over a box. It was as though a stone had lodged in my throat; my breath hitched, and I breathed slightly heavier. This must be the killer.

The cloaked figure casually stood up from his hiding place and shook the small object in his hand. It was a digital camera, much to my surprise. I frowned at the unusual sight and the figure clad in black continued, “You sure have the nicest assets I’ve seen in a while.” He flipped the camera around and leaned his elbows on the box, allowing me to see the picture he had taken on the little screen. It was a picture of me crouching in front of the generator, probably when I had hurt my finger. The angle of the picture was taken in such a way that my rear looked nicely rounded and tight against the camo pants I was wearing.

I couldn’t help but feel speechless at this killer…an inappropriate one at that! His chuckling sounded ever so gleeful as I felt a pink blush settle into my cheeks. Through my embarrassment, the sound of the iconic heartbeat was heard and a red stain stretching across the floor between me and the masked killer became visible. My mouth hung open a little and I stammered out in disbelief, “Did…did you just take a picture of my _butt_?” I was instantly aware of the view the guy had of my exposed stomach thanks to my cropped black sleeved shirt. I self-consciously wrapped my arms around my front.

The figure giggled and wiped imaginary tears from his mask’s dark eyeholes before pocketing his camera. “Yup!” he chirped, popping the ‘p’. “That picture’s a keeper.” This caused irritation to flare within me and I scoffed in incredulity. The figure regarded me closely, his mask tilting as he looked my whole form over. He dug around in his black clothing and produced a menacing-looking blade with a curved tip. I took a step backwards while he simultaneously took slow and relaxed steps around the boxes closer to me. “You must be the _newbie_. Most other survivors would be running away from little ol’ Ghostface by now,” he commented with sly mocking.

Ghostface, huh? I thought ‘Pervert’ suited him better. Annoyance and a will to live replaced my embarrassment and my arms uncrossed. “I need to see what I’m dealing with first,” I replied defiantly with a hardened glare. I would fight till my last breath before he could sacrifice me to the Entity.

Ghostface chuckled in amusement, expertly twirling his knife around. “You’re certainly different, cutie.” He prowled closer with each passing second, making the heartbeat in my ears beat erratically. His mask let out a distorted sigh as if he were disappointed. Though I knew his predatory instincts were strong by the tightened grip on his knife. “I’m afraid I’ll have to stab your pretty self now; as is the rule of the game.”

The fact that he called the trial a game confirmed his toying nature to me. My muscles tightened and I readied myself for his advances. “Bring it on, tough guy,” I challenged, the fire within me burning hotter.

A growl escaped through the mask and Ghostface lunged, his knife raised in the air. I just barely dodged his swift attack by jerking to the side. He whipped around and struck again, missing as I ducked below his extended arm. My heart raced like crazy against my ribcage as I scrambled away towards the stairs. A gloved hand quickly halted my efforts as he grabbed my neck and Ghostface threw me to the wooden floor.

My head thudded against something hard and I let out a cry of pain, feeling my vision slightly blur. My dazed eyes could make out the chipped painted metal of the generator I had fallen against. Dreaded footsteps stalked closer and the killer’s blurred form threateningly loomed over me. One of his hands gripped my legs and pulled me towards him. My body helplessly lay sprawled on the floor underneath Ghostface as one of his combat boots suddenly pressed hard against my breastbone. Intense pressure reigned down on me and I found difficulty in breathing. My hands grabbed onto his boot and tore at it, trying to lift it off me. But it was fruitless as his strength and weight easily overpowered me.

The mischievous killer above me seemed to enjoy my struggling form and he leaned his arm on his knee, further pressing his weight onto my torso. Tears of frustration pooled at the edges of my eyes and my efforts became frantic as thoughts of the agony of the hooks resurfaced. The stealthy killer even had the audacity to idly examine the way the pressure made my breasts press flush against his leather boot. A desperate wail of anger and anxiety burst through my lips at the helpless situation I was in and I hoped that Kate or one of the others were nearby to help.

However, as the knife appeared in my sight again, I realised that no one was going to help me. Ghostface sniggered with satisfaction when my cry was let out, and his mask mocked me as it peered down at my face. “You’re a little _feisty_ fighter, aren’t you?” My eyes became a vessel of loyalty and betrayal in the same instant, revealing my determination and fear. Ghostface, ever watchful, viewed the emotions glittering behind my eyes and he chuckled with delight, turning his face away to examine his blade in the faint light. “You know, it would be less painful for you if you stopped struggling,” he murmured in thought, his hand turning the knife in his inspection. His words were lost on me as I had started turning my head around in desperation, looking for anything – _anything_ – that could get me out of his grasp.

My eyes widened as I spotted something underneath the generator. It looked like some sort of tool; a wrench that had been discarded. It was within my reach – I had to grab it. Right now. Without waiting for more of Ghostface’s taunting, my hand shot out and tightly grasped onto the handle. With newfound strength, I wrenched the tool from underneath the genny and slammed it into the killer’s knee holding me down. The cloaked man grunted at the impact and the pressure released somewhat off my sternum. His knee wobbled but didn’t budge too much. With a bit more space to breathe, I took the opportunity and twisted my lower body to swing one of my free legs into the back of his other knee. The sudden kick made Ghostface lose his balance and he fell backwards in a heap on the floor.

Breath rushed into my lungs as I inhaled greedily, choking a little from the release of pressure. My chest burned with pain but I ignored it and rushed to my feet. The rustling nearby sparked me into swift motion and I ran straight for the window ledge, leaping over it just as footsteps resounded behind me. I landed in an awkward crouch in the dirt outside the Thompson House and groaned from the added soreness to my body. I wanted nothing more than to lay still until the pain resided, but I knew that was a death waiting to happen. The adrenaline in my veins helped propel me to my feet and I ran as far as I could from that house. My grip on the wrench tightened as I moved through the cornfield, glancing behind me in fear of seeing Ghostface creeping around.

My gaze was also peeled for any of the other survivors. I knew some had gotten injured earlier but as far as I knew, no one had been sacrificed yet. Just as I caught sight of one of the survivors running ahead of me, the sound of the final generator needed went off. A smile filled my expression and the feeling of hope returned, outweighing the feeling of pain in my body. We could all escape from this trial!

The auras of the exit gate panels shone through the mist and I went to the nearest one. The survivor I had seen earlier was already there and was holding the lever down. The large physique and short hair revealed him to be David. I heaved a heavy sigh of relief and came to a standstill beside him.

David jumped a little. “Jeez, Hailie. You bloody scared me.”

  
The words ‘I’m sorry’ got caught in my throat and I coughed, breathing heavily still from my sprinting. “Ghostface…was in the house…” I wheezed out, wincing as the pain in my chest increased. I clutched my stomach and focused on relieving the pain by breathing in short bursts. My vision also blurred occasionally from the hit to my head earlier and I felt dizzy.

The buzzing of the exit gate rang out and David threw me a concerned look at my state. “We’ll heal you up as soon as we’re out. Just hang on.”

I nodded and glanced around, wondering if Kate and the other survivor were okay. My body froze in shock as a sudden flurry of leather strips and cowl flashed across my vision and descended upon David’s back. The male shouted in pain and the knife was ripped out of the survivor’s back. Blood coated the back of David’s shirt and dripped onto the dirt and he moaned in agony before sprinting away. My eyes flew to the still unopened exit gate and back to the shrouded man wiping the blood off his weapon.

Ghostface locked his sights on me. “Say _bye-bye_ , little fighter,” he taunted, slashing his knife at me. My body tried pulling away from his range, but it did little to help. A scream left my lips as his knife tore a bloody trail from my shoulder to my forearm. The excruciating pain burned like an insatiable force of a white-hot iron pressing into me. I flung the wrench at Ghostface with a yell, managing to hit his chest. He released a breath from his mask and kicked the wrench out of the way when it fell at his feet. I took off once again, the heartbeat in my ears loud and deafening.

Ghostface was hot on my tail, his weapon raised in anticipation of his prize from the chase. My lungs and legs burned at the exertion, but I continued running from the killer. I dizzyingly weaved through the few walls scattered around us with the hopes it would slow down the chase. It worked to an extent – Ghostface lost me every now and then but my scratch marks always brought him back to me.

A loud grating of metal sounded, and the ground shook slightly. Somebody had opened the other exit gate! I glanced behind me and realised I was no longer being chased. My hand clutched my bloody wound and I tried stifling my whimpering. I rushed towards the sound of the exit gate and saw Kate and David healing each other up at the exit. They were being risky, but I didn’t blame them for wanting to get rid of the pain. Tears of relief threatened to spill down my cheeks, but I irritably rubbed the wetness away.

Kate noticed me from afar and she smiled and hurriedly motioned for me to go to them. I happily obliged and gave the kind woman a smile back. When I reached them, Kate enveloped me in a quick hug. “I’m so glad you made it out safely!” she exclaimed.

When we pulled away, David ruffled my dark hair and I shoved his hand away playfully. Kate noticed my wound and my short breaths and she frowned. “C’mon, I’ll heal you up,” she offered, preparing to heal me with a med-kit I saw beside her.

I nodded and she and David both started patching the wound on my arm, making me wince. “What happened to Meg?” I asked them, wondering where she could be.

“She got hooked,” David told me. I frowned. I never felt the breeze that usually swept through the area of the trial whenever the Entity took a survivor. I suppose I was occupied with a generator or running from the shrouded killer.

As if the simple thought of the killer summoned him, a hand grabbed a fistful of my black cropped shirt. I yelped as I was hoisted up and placed onto Ghostface’s shoulder. His gloved hand grasped onto my exposed skin and held me in place, preventing me from jumping off. I heard audible gasps as both David and Kate reared back from the man’s range.

“Let her go, you _creep_!” Kate yelled with ferocity. The viciousness in her wording and tone of voice shocked me. I had never heard her sound like that before.

I half expected Ghostface to fire a joke at Kate in that seemingly silly tone of voice he had used on me earlier in the house. But to my surprise, he snarled with even more venom, “Go back to the hole you crawled from, bitch.”

Shuffling was heard and I presumed one of them had tried getting to me. The man holding me up jerked and I heard the hiss of his blade slice through the air. His movement caused the floating strips of fabric attached to his cowl to gently smack into my face. I blew them away with a puff of air as Ghostface chuckled against me. “Just _try_ coming closer, and you’ll see what will happen to you.”

I tried wiggling against his shoulder and arm but soon stopped when his gloved fingertips pressed deeply into my bare skin in warning. I winced in pain, knowing that bruises would likely form there. But another part of me felt odd due to the unexpected tingles along my skin where he held me. The leather from his glove, coupled with the controlling actions of the killer, caused a shiver to run down my body. It didn’t help that his body warmth was flowing into my skin – it caused another shiver and an odd feeling in my stomach.

“You’ll be okay, Hailie!” Kate called out. “Just keep wiggling!”

Footsteps retreated and a sudden weight settled in my stomach. Had they left me? The logical part of my brain understood there wasn’t much they could do against a guy with a knife and good slashing skills. But another part felt a little hurt that they would abandon me so quickly. They could have looked for something close by to force Ghostface to drop me. I was certain some loose bricks were nearby from the brick pillars on either side of the exit.

They could have at least tried…

I was brought out of my moping when the masked killer gripped my skin a little tighter and turned on his heel, bringing me back into Coldwind Farm. “What great friends,” Ghostface muttered sarcastically. It was obvious he didn’t like the other two survivors by the way he had spoken to them. I vaguely wondered why when he suddenly perked up. “So, _Hailie_ , huh?” Ghostface hummed, testing the name on his tongue and saying it a few times. “I like it.”

My cheeks reddened again at the random compliment and I quietly mumbled, “Thanks.”

Fuck, what was I doing? I was having a friendly conversation with a serial killer who was probably on his way to hook me. With the way he was trying his damndest to hurt me in the house, I knew he probably would succeed in killing me if I didn’t get away.

I most certainly didn’t want to experience the hook tonight.

With my determination still intact, I resorted to fighting back. My foot quickly raised from its dangling place and I brought it down hard against Ghostface’s stomach. He clearly didn’t expect the action as the killer dropped me in shock and pain, groaning and holding his gut. I made a break for it and started running back to the exit, hoping I would make it there.

The sound of a large clock ticking down rang out and the ground started splitting apart by golden veins in the earth. I cursed aloud and knew I had to hurry if I wanted to bypass any more agony.

The odds were certainly in my favour tonight. An ethereal yet calming noise made my head turn in the direction it was coming from. I couldn’t believe it…the hatch was open and a couple of feet away from me. I ran towards it and grinned. I would be getting out of here. I looked up and connected my gaze with Ghostface, who had caught up and was staring at me.

I gave him a wicked grin. “See ya, Ghosty.”

His stance seemed rigid with frustration at my discovery of the hatch, but the smirk hidden by the mask was audible. “Later, little spitfire,” he growled out.

I mused over his nickname for a second, feeling mixed emotions rush through me. Without wasting another moment, I jumped through the hatch and was engulfed by the sweet shadows.


	2. Legion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are enjoying the story so far!
> 
> You may have realised by now that I'm not writing some things as they appear in the DBD game (Eg. the survivors constantly whimpering when they become injured). This is intentional to allow me to be creative in scenes! It also allows the characters to seem not so 'stiff', as it were. Argh, hopefully that makes sense xD 
> 
> Regardless, enjoy the chapter! :)

The odd sensations of warping through various realms were a warm welcome after the exhaustive trial. Numerous flashes of light flew past my field of vision as the Entity transported me back to The Campfire and I relished the fleeting moments of weightlessness. Soon enough, my surroundings came into focus and I felt my body materialise just on the outskirts of the clearing.

My legs wobbled before giving out and I collapsed on my knees, my breath coming out in pants as the after-effects of the trial clouded over me. The white mask of Ghostface appeared in my mind as I briefly recollected all that had happened. The dull pain in my chest throbbed and I closed my eyes. I would need a few hours of rest and a nice heal from one of the survivors. The wound on my arm also demanded attention; it hadn’t been healed fully by Kate and David.

The tiniest of grins fell across my lips. I had managed to outsmart that devious killer. Part of me wondered if he would be forgiving the next time I faced him; though, it would make things interesting if he was even more hellbent on taking me down. He was certainly full of jokes and mischief. I shook my head and heaved myself to my feet. Now wasn’t the time to think about the cloaked man.

I limped past the cabins and further into the darkened clearing. It didn’t take me long to come across the group of fellow survivors as many of them sat together nearby the campfire. Their postures were greatly varied, and I especially noted that the ones with bloodstained clothes looked completely fatigued. Slight envy ate away at me as my gaze flickered to the relaxed survivors who had the luck of not being picked for one of the final trials of the day. I noticed a few missing peers, including Meg, and guessed that they were most likely recovering in their cabin rooms. Being sacrificed took a little while to recover from, I knew from experience. The physical and emotional fatigue of the soul was not a thing to be taken lightly.

Movement from the campfire caught my attention. David was waving me over and gesturing me to sit next to him. Detective Tapp sat to David’s right while Claudette sat on his left. I approached the group and Claudette was quick to scoot along the log, giving me a space to sit. My body eased gingerly onto the large piece of wood and I winced when the movement caused aching. “Hailie! You made it out!” David cheered, smacking a hand against my back in hurrah.

A yelp came out of my mouth at his actions and I gave him a glare. “That hurt! I’ve got wounds, idiot.”

A sheepish smile fell on David’s face and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him light-heartedly. From beside me, Claudette wasted no time in healing me up. I gave her a grateful nod of thanks, already feeling a little better overall.

“Oh, Hailie _darlin’_!” Kate exclaimed from behind, wrapping her arms around me in a huge hug. “I thought you were a goner. How did you get out?”

“Well,” I began, remembering back to my moment of resolve. “I kinda kicked Ghostface in the stomach. He dropped me and I was able to get to the hatch on time.” I let out a short chuckle. It was almost priceless to see the confident cloaked killer reduced to fuming silence when I had made the discovery of the hatch. Another odd feeling emerged at the memory of his latest nickname for me – ‘Spitfire’. I shook it off and rubbed my forearms.

“Say what now?” Detective Tapp questioned, obviously eavesdropping on the conversation as he leaned further forward to look at me.

Kate unwrapped her arms from me while Claudette also piped up, “Kicked him in the stomach? How’d you do that, girl?”

I felt astounded at their sudden surprise. Why did they have such an interest in this? I didn’t think too much when I replied, a little dumbfounded, “Uh…I used my foot and kicked him…?”

Kate had come around our sitting place to stand before us, and her hand settled on her hip. “Darlin’, that’s not what we meant.” The others nodded in agreement and looked at me expectedly.

The quiet around the campfire revealed that the rest of the group were also listening in on the conversation. My cheeks burned and I gestured with my hands in exasperation. “Then what did you mean? Why are you so surprised? All I did was kick him!”

“Because that ain’t a normal thing to do,” Claudette said.

When all I did was give her a puzzled look, Kate explained, “What she means to say, dear, is that none of us have ever thought to kick the killer before. The only ways we can get out of their grasp is by wiggling or using the Decisive Strike perk, if we can use it.”

I had heard them speak of perks before. They were methods we could use to our advantage against the group of killers in trials, given to us by the Entity. Not all of us could use the same perks, but I knew some of the more skilled survivors could teach their special perks to the rest of us if we asked. Since arriving in this place, I was told that I would discover what perks the Entity would bestow me in due course. But so far, I had purely run on my instincts and advice when progressing through the trials as I had no perks yet.

“But I didn’t do either of those things,” I replied quietly, part of me wondering if I had done something wrong or against the rules.

Kate nodded. “Hence why we’re confused.”

Someone shuffled closer to the conversation. It was a petite girl with brown hair, by the name of Nancy. She locked gazes with me, and she seemed excited as the words practically tumbled out of her mouth. “Did you by any chance experience something unique in the trial? Maybe in a way that we normally wouldn’t experience?”

My thoughts immediately flew back to when Ghostface had taken a picture of my butt back at the Thompson House. He had seemed elated at the banter between us, but I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t think mentioning his mischievous schemes was worth it…he had probably tried these antics on the other survivors at one point or another. But a different part of our encounter stuck out to me. “At one point, Ghostface managed to corner me and he held me down,” I recounted as the group listened intently. “I couldn’t push him off me, but I looked around and I found a wrench underneath the generator I was working on. I smashed it into his knee and I was able to get away.”

When I had finished telling them the story, their faces lit up in awe. Nancy had the biggest smile on her lips as if she had made a large discovery, and she bounced in her place excitedly. “I knew it! Sounds like you’ve got a perk!”

From her place a couple of feet away, Yui grinned and adjusted the goggles on her head. “A damn good one at that.”

Were they serious? Was what I did not just common sense? I decided to keep that thought to myself however…I didn’t want to irritate anyone. “Great,” I exclaimed, feeling elated despite my cynical thoughts. “So, does this mean I’m creative in getting away from killers?”

Kate nodded. “Somethin’ like that. It’s like you’re thinking out the box. And it’s mighty impressive.” The other survivors all made noises of agreement and the ones closest to me patted my knee and back in camaraderie. I was shocked that they were so impressed with something I had done. It made me feel valued…

“Dude, we could totally use this to our advantage in trials!” Jeff rambled to those closest to him, and the rest of the group followed his example and started having their own conversations once again.

The buzzing of chatter eased me as the attention at the campfire shifted off of me. I sighed quietly as I half-listened to Tapp’s story of his looping adventure, catching contagious smiles as the detective’s own laughter bubbled out. After a while, I excused myself from the others and headed for my cabin. There would be no more trials for the night, but once the shadowed sky got a little lighter in a couple of hours’ time, the dreaded trials would continue.

I pushed open the cabin entrance and walked through the living room, headed straight for the bathroom. The time for showering was always a welcome one – it allowed me a false sense of escape where my mind could freely float to a place far away from here…back to the hometown I had grown up in before I moved to the city. In my escape, my family were always there waiting for me. A woman’s warm touch would rest on my cheek, telling me I was her sunshine. A stronger figure would pick me up from behind, swinging me around as he playfully pretended we were in an airplane. Childish giggles would ring out around us…sounding full of happiness in that little corner house…

The memory receded once the hot water started becoming a little too much for my still aching body. I wiped a hand over my face, my thoughts lingering on the parents who loved that little girl… who were probably wondering what had happened to her.

I turned the water off and absent-mindedly dried off with a towel, wrapping it around myself when I was done. My bed looked inviting as I entered my room, and it didn’t take me long to change into my hoodie and shorts. Unceremoniously, I fell onto my bed and heaved a sigh while being careful not to breathe too deeply. My chest still felt the ghostly pain from the cloaked killer, and I huffed as my thoughts went back to him.

He was the first killer I had come across so far whom I found interesting. Perhaps it was his impish personality. I tried not to let it affect me when I tried and failed to not remember the way his gloved fingers felt against my skin. His distorted growl echoed in my brain as I fell into a deep slumber, and goosebumps raised across my skin as if the killer had breathed right against me.

* * *

A few days had passed since the revelation of my new perk, and I was thrilled to try it out. I had termed it, ‘Out the Box’ – thanks to Kate’s accurate description when everyone had found out. My wounds had also healed fully from my time at the Thompson House, and I no longer suffered from chest pains. My thoughts had been quite erratic ever since, however. Ghostface liked to make an appearance in my thoughts during the most random times, though I mostly tried not to think of him too much. It was as though a part of me missed the time he and I had spent, which was kind of ridiculous in itself – he had been trying to _kill_ me and I had been trying to _survive_.

There had also been some odd times I had experienced during my time at The Campfire realm. Sometimes, I felt as if the shadows in the nearby woods would move when I sat around the fire with the others. Other times, I would hear faint clicking sounds when I would do mundane things in my cabin room. Though, whenever I would investigate, I would find nothing out of the ordinary. I had simply chalked it up to the stressful effects of the trials and often ignored the strange noises I heard every now and then.

Today, I was summoned to an area I had never been in before. Mount Ormond Resort was quite a beautiful place. Laden with snow, it was a dazzling sight to behold. However, the beauty had an undertone in the form of chilly weather. I shivered against the biting cold mist that surrounded me. I was glad I had worn my leather jacket and jeans, otherwise, I would have suffered.

My hands fumbled in the chest I had found nearby, and I looked around me wearily. At least two people had gotten injured so far – I had heard their cries near the beginning of the trial. This killer may be a difficult one to evade. My fingers grasped onto a metal box and I grinned triumphantly as my hand closed around the handle of a med-kit. This will certainly come in handy, even if it may not heal me up more than once. I crept away from the opened chest with the med-kit in hand, slowly making my way to a generator on the edge of the resort.

I successfully made it to the machine without seeing anybody and got to work on repairing it. My hands fumbled with the wires and metal parts while my gaze swiftly scoured the area around me. I couldn’t help but marvel at the exquisite snowfall. Part of me wished I could be placed in this realm more often – it made me feel calmer than the other dreary places. The sound of a genny being completed on the far side of the area sounded and the aura of it shone through the haze of snowfall and cold mist.

The next thing I knew, two pairs of footsteps sounded nearby, thudding hard against the earth. I peered over the side of the generator to see Jake being chased by a figure in a mask. My eyes widened in shock at their close proximity to me and I remained crouched behind the generator, hoping I wouldn't be spotted. Jake tried his best to loop the masked figure, though it did little to help as the killer suddenly increased his speed. His knife raised high into the air as he chased Jake around the pallet. I winced as Jake came close to being hit with a knife and finally, I gasped when he got sliced by the blade.

Jake carried on running despite his deep wounds, trying to loop the killer once more. He managed to smack the pallet down between himself and the killer, but unfortunately, he was not able to stun the hooded figure. To my amazement, the killer swiftly slid across the pallet and slowed for a second, looking at his hands. He then managed to hit Jake a second time, making him fall to the ground with a groan. I was baffled – I had never seen a killer manoeuvre so effortlessly across a pallet before. The others had to break them in order to cross, but not this one.

The figure chuckled at Jake, who had started shaking his head pleadingly at the man who stood over him. The figure muttered a few insults the survivor’s way while wiping his knife on his sleeve, though I wasn’t quite close enough to catch them. But my stomach dropped when the mask with the bloodstained smiley face turned to look me straight in the eyes. I bolted from my hiding spot, running away with as much energy as I could use.

“He just _had_ to look my way!” I grumbled out loud, glancing behind me to see the figure gaining speed tremendously quickly. Damnit, it must be his power! I felt the whoosh of the blade as I ducked just in time.

He yelled out at his futile attack and slowed down. I quickly straightened up and took the chance to shove the figure backwards, hoping it would make him stumble. My push only managed to move him back a couple of feet though and with another yell, he slashed his blade across my side. I screamed in pain and pressed my hand against the wound. Blood stained my fingers as I clutched my side.

That’s it, I thought, gripping the med-kit handle so hard that my knuckles turned white. My blood boiled with intensity and I swung my arm back before hitting the killer upside the head with the hard metal box. The guy let out a grunt of pain and he staggered to the side, clutching his face with his free hand. That is when I noticed an object had fallen to the snow and I looked at it curiously. With a start, I realized it was the figure’s mask. The eerie smile and eyes that had been drawn on it stared up at me, making a shiver run down my spine.

I dared to peek at the hooded killer before me, who had dropped his hand. I was not expecting what I saw under that mask. He was young, possibly a year or two younger than me. His skin seemed rough on the surface and a few cuts were scattered around his lips. An intricate tattoo covered the front part of his neck that was visible underneath the dark green jacket. Dread filled me from head to toe when my gaze found his eyes. They seemed ablaze with utmost rage; staring into mine with such severity that I felt bone-chilling fear course through me. Blood dripped down the side of his jaw from where the med-kit had hit him and a part of me instantly felt guilty of my impulsive violent action.

The young man took no notice of the guilty look present in my face and instead curled his lip at me like a feral animal. “Motherfucking _bitch_ ,” he spat in a rough voice, wiping the blood off his jaw.

This was certainly my cue to get the hell away from him. I spun around and booked it just as the killer picked his mask off the ground, adjusting it back on his face with furious jerks of his limbs. The masked figure was onto me in no time and I could hear his short breaths as he followed. Small snowflakes fell into my eyes and I blinked them away furiously, not wishing for my vision to be obscured.

The terror radius and heartbeat became thunderous as I crossed the threshold of the cottage. I knew I was immediately screwed as I stepped foot into that building. A few couches blocked my immediate path, and I knew if I ran around them then the figure could easily lunge at me. My instincts made the choice for me, and I sprang into the air. My feet pulled in as I soared over the backrest of the couch and my sights were focused on the staircase a few feet away. As my feet uncurled to slam onto the ground, I shrieked as a cold metal blade scored through my jacket and across my skin.

I fell hard onto the ground and rolled once from the momentum, losing my grip on the med-kit. My back burned with pain as I landed on my side, and I squeezed my eyes shut against the stinging. If only I were a bit further away from the killer, I could have lost him. I bit my lip to hold in the whimpering – I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. My nails gripped the wood as I began crawling away desperately. I wouldn’t give up.

A heavy breath was the only warning I got before an object brutally pierced into the back of my thigh, pinning me to the floor. A scream tore through my throat as the agony smothered my form. The killer kept his hold on the handle of his knife as it remained embedded in my leg. He was kneeling over me like an impending storm cloud, his mask turned towards my sweating face.

His voice was a vicious force as he sneered, “You’re not going anywhere.” My mouth stammered open in a panic and a few unintelligent noises came out instead of words. This guy seemed extremely hostile thanks to my impulsive actions earlier. I squeaked as his bandaged hand shot out and gripped my dark locks in a vice grip. He jerked my head towards his threateningly. “How dare you expose my face? Think you’re in charge, huh?” he near-shouted, his mask a mere inch away from me.

A sharp twist in my leg made me gasp and he ripped the knife out harshly. His grip on my hair released as he threw my head downwards. My scalp knocked with a sharp thud against the wooden flooring and I let out a groan. “You’re going to pay, bitch,” the killer loathingly ground out, his ragged voice rumbling through his chest.

I didn’t doubt his words, after all, he had impaled my leg to get his point across. However, his rude name-calling really triggered irritation within me. The killer hauled me onto his shoulder and began carrying me outside the cottage, his grip painful as his actions carried across his anger. I should have probably remained quiet, but my annoyance at this killer was bubbling to the surface quickly. “Hothead, much?” I grumbled against his back.

I had not been prepared in time; I was thinking too much about my emotions than what was awaiting me. My body slid off the killer’s shoulder and a familiar torture greeted me in the form of a rusty meat hook piercing through my chest. I released a loud cry and helplessly dangled in the air, my hands holding the protruding metal to relieve some of the pressure.

The killer before me admired my hanging form but his demeanour still screamed aggression. “That should shut you up,” he hissed before turning his back to me and sauntering off to find the others.

What a little…! I huffed in vexation at the killer’s receding form. The guy clearly had issues, though it was probably only because I knocked his mask off. But he couldn’t blame me – I didn’t realise I was capable of such an action! This new perk of mine sure was full of surprises…

I desperately tried ignoring the agony I was currently in and looked around for any signs of life. The haze of pain and the mist made it difficult to make out if anyone was nearby, but I continued searching. Another generator became completed and let off a sound, leaving us with one more to repair. Good going, team. Hopefully, Jake had also managed to heal while the killer had been distracted with me.

Something crunched against the snow-covered ground nearby and a grin lit up my face. Bill had crouched his way on over to me and he gave me a nod before pulling me off the hook. I whimpered while landing on unsteady feet and thanked him. He grunted, though his eyes widened as the terror radius and heartbeat returned with a vengeance. “Run!” the grey-haired man urged me before taking off.

I raced away with difficulty, holding onto my side as the pain slowed me down. Frantically, I looked around to see where the danger was coming from. All I saw was white snow. The heartbeat sounded ever louder, and I rounded a large boulder and tree. A red stain suddenly enveloped my eyesight and a knife swiped at me. I quickly shielded my face and the blade connected deeply into the palms of my outstretched hands.

I yelled out and ran past the killer as he ran the blade along his sleeve. If Bill hadn’t used his Borrowed Time perk on me, I would once again be at the hooded figure’s feet. The Deep Wounds effect was making me pant more than usual, however, and the aching in my body practically doubled. I needed to get away quickly!

A small wooden outpost in the distance caught my eye and I raced towards it. I wasn’t one for looping, but I needed to try and lose the guy. My body fell against the base of the wooden structure and I hurriedly skirted along it, using it for support. A small staircase led into the outpost and I made my way up the slippery steps. The terror radius and heartbeat continued ringing in my ears as the killer kept close. My disappointment was paramount as I entered the small room; there was nothing I could use in here against the killer! It hadn’t helped that I had dropped my med kit earlier either.

I didn’t have time to mend my wounds. I rushed to the window and vaulted over it, landing back on the snowy ground. Unfortunately, I had severely misjudged the killer’s movements and he appeared to my right in an instant. His knife found its way into my side again and I lost the strength in my legs. The killer caught my jacket collar with his hand and kept me upright, preventing me from falling. A hot breath brushed against my neck as it escaped through the bottom of his mask.

He heaved a deep chuckle. “Got you, stupid bitch.”

“Asshole,” I breathed out, giving him a fiery glare. I was up to here with his verbal insults.

The killer growled and lifted me higher off the ground, choking me from his hold. I gasped for air pathetically, my thoughts haywire as I lay at the mercy of this hot-headed man. “Shut that naughty little mouth of yours,” his voice lowered, the heat from his body radiating off his fingertips.

His choice of words made me hold my tongue, and a rush of electricity surged from my head to my toes. The unanticipated feeling caused me to become rigid. What…what was that…?

My muscles remained tense as the figure once again placed me on his shoulder and took me away. I didn’t even have the strength to wiggle – my injuries were far too severe. The masked killer and I settled into a tense silence until I was once again shifted from the position. Agony and pressure blossomed within my chest as a second hook made its way through skin and bone once again. An inevitable shout tumbled out me and echoed around the resort at the action, and soon I began struggling against the spider-like limbs of the Entity that had materialised around me.

The killer regarded me closely before taking a few steps away and he surveyed the surroundings. Was he going to just wait here until someone showed up to rescue me? He noticed my confused glances amidst my struggling and confidently stated, “You’re _not_ getting away again.”

I didn’t have the strength or willpower to say anything in response as the spider limbs seemed to press against me more powerfully after each passing second. Blood from the cuts on my palms began oozing out and dropping into the ground below, staining the snow. It was a violent but somewhat poetic display, perhaps befitting.

“Hey!” a voice shouted, catching both mine and the killer’s attention. Steve stood nearby, partially hidden by a tree. The masked killer raised his knife and rushed to his new prey. The survivor pulled out a flashlight and promptly shone it in the killer’s face. “Eat this!” he quipped.

A few unsuccessful slashes of his knife proved that Steve had managed to blind him for a few moments. The boy dashed away with the figure following his footsteps. I caught movement in the corner of my eye and realised Jake was moving to unhook me. He grabbed me under the arms and lifted me off the metal hook. The spider limbs vanished in the air and I leaned against Jake for a moment with failing strength.

“C’mon,” Jake murmured, supporting my weight while we both bounded away. “Bill’s got the last generator.”

Sure enough, a horn went off and the two exit gate panels shone through the mist for a few seconds. Jake took initiative and led us both to the nearest one. He pulled the lever as soon as we reached it, his bushy brows furrowed in concentration. I leaned against the brick wall and kept watch while the red lights above the panel started lighting up.

A green beret popped around the corner of a rock and Bill rushed towards us, stopping beside me and keeping a watch as well. He gave me a once over and whistled low in disbelief. “Damn,” he grunted, eyeing out my various lacerations. A small giggle erupted from me at his reaction. I was so exhausted from this trial.

A heartbeat became stronger in my ears and my face fell instantly. Oh, hell no. I squinted my eyes as something in motion straight ahead caught my eye. Steve was barrelling towards us, his eyes frantic and his hands clutching new wounds. A dark figure was following close behind him and my blood ran cold.

“Open the _gate_!” Steve screamed in a high-pitched tone. “Open it, _open it_!”

Jake started panicking as his progress wasn’t finished yet. The killer and survivor approached even closer and my breathing became uneven. Bill started banging his fist on the gate in desperation. Finally, the gate opened with a metallic screech and we all rushed to the exit. Bill ran straight ahead and crossed the threshold, making it out of the trial. Jake ran alongside me as we were about to cross over too. But a pained cry made me skid to a stop in my stride while Jake brushed past me into safety.

Steve had been slashed by the killer and had fallen to the ground. His eyes met with mine and my expression hardened. I would not leave one of my own behind.

My feet scurried to him and I dropped to my knees, wrapping an arm around Steve. I hoisted him up and we made a break for the threshold. My head whipped over my shoulder and I stared at the killer’s mask. He was a sliver’s touch away, practically against me. For a split second, I feared that he would bring me down too. His knife raised, the bloodied blade glinting in the light as it rapidly descended upon me…

Only for the blade to smite against an invisible barrier with a few millimetres of saving grace. The killer released a guttural howl and continued stabbing the invisible barrier. “ _Fuck_!” he yelled out in a fury, and I could feel his heated gaze burning into the back of my head.

I let out a laugh at our fortune and from beside me, Steve joined in with a few chortles of his own. We had safely made it out with a quadruple escape. I felt the familiar feeling of the Entity’s teleportation powers as we dematerialised, whilst the feeling of the burning eyes increased vehemently.


	3. Intrigued by Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we will see what Hailie and the other survivors get up to when they aren't in trials! :) Also, we will take a glimpse into what the killers, especially Ghostface and Frank, are doing in the free time they have :P 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

Due to the good participation by all survivors and killers within the trials, only three trials were taking place today. The first was held in the early morning, the second around noon and the third was presumably going to occur soon, at night. It was some type of twisted reward from the Entity, and even though I was grateful for the mercy, suspicions were crawling around my mind.

So far, I had been spared from the two trials and had spent most of my time during the week and today gaining intel from the other survivors. I was trying my best to learn as much as I could with the time given to me. And since I hadn’t encountered all the killers yet, the knowledge I received was very valuable. I had also been receiving training from David, who knew exactly what exercises to do thanks to his background in rugby and experiences in fight clubs. But damn, did the man know how to push me to the limits! Near the end of a particularly difficult set of high-intensity exercises, he had found me in a crumpled heap in the dirt. “No more,” I had begged him, shaking my head back and forth. The big guy simply gave me a grin and helped me to my feet, complying with my pleas.

I had also been trying to ignore thoughts of Ghostface and the hot-headed killer I had gone against before, who I learned was part of the Legion group of killers. So far, distracting myself with other things had seemed to be working. Though, sometimes my mind would wander to those two killers that stood out above the others to me. The Legion guy still made my irritation flare when I thought about him.

My relationships with the survivors had also improved greatly over the week. I had grown a lot closer with Steve and Nancy, who were often found hanging out together. Steve had a great sense of humour and Nancy had a sisterly energy about her. Nea had also taken a liking to me – our similar sense in fashion style was the first thing that brought us together. With others, I had grown close with simply because of our adventures together within the trials. David was one of them, along with Jake, Claudette, Yui and Jeff. Of course, Kate remained close with me and acted like a sort of mother hen towards me.

I wasn’t as close to the rest of the survivors, and I considered them to be fellow teammates than anything else. Some of them simply preferred their solitude, such as Cheryl, who was quick to come to our aid if we needed emotional support but mostly kept her distance. I respected her greatly though – the horrors she had witnessed before coming here were unspeakable.

We all shared a similar sense of relief from the mercy shown by the Entity today. I could see it in the survivors’ expressions as we hung out in various groups. A bit of tension still lingered in the air though, as we waited for four of us to be picked by the monster holding us captive.

I really hoped I would be spared. I was so close to finishing stitching up a tear in my leather jacket and was on a good train of thought. I desperately didn’t want to get interrupted. Just as I thought I was near completion though; the cotton thread snapped. “Really? You had to break now?” I complained, frowning at the little piece of thread. With a huff, I finished off the stitch with what I could use and grabbed the cotton roll that rested at my feet. So help me, if this broke again…

“Still struggling with that, huh?” a curious-sounding voice spoke up. I glanced upwards to see a short-haired blonde wearing a blue button shirt and high-waisted pants. Laurie held a gentle smile on her face that was slightly crooked and she eagerly eyed out my work on the garment. “My mother could sew – she used to make me a few blouses. Though, she tended to get frustrated with the machine.” The girl scrunched up her nose at the last part, thinking back to some memory that I had no access to.

“This is definitely frustrating, alright,” I agreed with a scowl directed towards the newly threaded needle. I began stitching once again, determined to finish closing the fabric up.

Laurie seated herself on the log beside me, her gaze flickering between my hands and face. “At least you’ve got other clothes to wear in the meantime,” she pointed out, trying to cheer me up.

That was true. When I first arrived here, I only had the clothes on my person. But when I had chosen one of the empty cabin bedrooms as my own, I had found that there were a few different clothing items neatly folded away in drawers. They were all accurate to size, too, even the underwear! Some clothes were even ones I had owned from back home. The other survivors had also made the discovery when they arrived at this place. It was as if the Entity was trying to bring us a sense of normalcy in this fucked-up place. We had even been gifted essential things like toiletries, fridges that always seem to stock up on their own, generators to feed electricity to the cabins, books to read during our spare time, and so on. The cabins we shared were even nicely decorated and contained various bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms and bathrooms. Even the needle and thread I had managed to find was probably manifested by the Entity. It was quite generous, for a creature who enjoyed tormenting us.

I threw a grin Laurie’s way, appreciating her company and words. The teen gave me one back before turning to look ahead where a group of five were approaching us. “Hello, ladies. Would you like to chill with us?” Steve asked with a charming smirk.

I caught Laurie’s flushed expression before she awkwardly cleared her throat. Did the girl have a certain crush? I held back a giggle as she responded to Steve a little nervously. “Sure. What would we do?”

The confident jock gestured around us. “Anything we want.”

“Ooh, ooh!” Feng piped up, bouncing on her toes. “We could play a board game!”

Meg tossed her braid over her shoulder. “You beat us all last time, gamer girl.” The girl with a dark bob hairstyle seemed to slump a little, her enthusiasm crushed.

From beside Steve, Quentin straightened up as an idea came to mind. “We could–” he started before his body began to shimmer in a golden glow. “Nevermind,” he sullenly finished, and he dematerialised as the Entity transported him to the last trial of the day. From across the clearing, Adam had also dematerialised, along with Ash and Jane. Relief caressed me with a sweet touch as I revelled in the fact that I had gotten the rest of the day off.

The atmosphere around The Campfire instantly lifted as our spirits soared a little higher. Nancy suddenly spoke up, “Well, since we don’t have to stress anymore, I recommend we all go watch a movie.”

The rest of the group murmured in agreement as their interest was roused. As if its sole purpose were to vex me, the new cotton thread snapped in my hands. I groaned before wildly throwing the fabric into my lap frustratedly, the needle still clenched between my fingers. “That sounds like a _brilliant_ idea,” I responded with a scowl. “I keep screwing this up anyway.”

Benign fingers removed the needle held in my hand and Laurie remarked, “Maybe it’s best I take this away for now.” The group collectively laughed, amused at my well-known irritation and at Laurie’s comment.

I relented and sighed deeply. I shouldn’t get so het up over silly things like this. The scowl in my expression morphed into settled neutrality as I gathered the cotton roll and unfinished jacket and followed the group. We headed to the closest cabin, which happened to be the one that Meg and Feng shared with a few of the others. We entered the cabin and Laurie passed me back the needle, which I pocketed in the jacket along with the cotton roll, before placing it aside.

“If only we could order a pizza,” Steve sadly commented.

Feng bounded to the fridge instantly and checked the freezer. After a moment, she straightened up and held a box of frozen pizza in her hands. “Score!” She placed the box on the counter and shut the freezer door with her hip. “It may not be as great as fresh pizza, but at least we have some.”

Everyone perked up, eager to enjoy good food with good company. Meg and Feng prepared the oven for the pizza and gathered drinks for everyone with ease as they navigated their kitchen. Laurie rested against the kitchen counter, watching what the two girls were doing and offering her help if they needed her.

From the couch, Steve made himself comfortable at the centre of the large three-seater while Nancy fiddled at the TV. “Um, does anyone know how to work this thing?” Nancy called out, awkwardly gesturing to the DVD player. Of course, she wouldn’t know how to work one of those…she was brought to the Entity’s Realm from the 80s along with Steve – they only really knew how to work with VCR players and tapes. That was another odd concept I had noticed while here…this place didn’t seem to have any set time as everyone here came from various years. I tried not to think about that fact too much though…it made the supernatural aspects around here more frightening.

Thankfully, I came from the modern era and had plenty of experience with DVD players and flatscreen TV’s. I approached Nancy and gave her a smile before setting the player up correctly. I was finished in no time and the others came into the living room with the drinks. A cup filled with soda was placed in my hands and I thanked Meg. The girls had settled onto the couch with Steve in the middle of them. Laurie was pressed up against him on one side and had a deep blush settled into her fair cheeks. Steve looked rather pleased himself and draped his arms over the backrest of the couch, causing the ladies to press a little closer to him. I couldn’t help but grin madly.

“The pizza should take twenty minutes,” Feng announced and sipped on her lemonade. Everyone nodded in acknowledgement.

“Now the question remains,” I said, catching the group’s attention, “what movie shall we watch?” I pulled the television cabinet drawer open and held up a couple of DVD cases in the air, showing the others what we had available to choose from.

“Shawshank Redemption was good!” Feng exclaimed, pointing to the case in my right hand.

Meg scrunched her nose up. “Eh, it looks boring.”

“Ooh, Breakfast Club is one of my favourites.” Nancy eyed out the new case I had picked up. Steve gestured for me to bring him a couple of cases and I obliged. He flipped through the various ones while the girls leaned over to see too.

“I don’t remember most of these movies…” Laurie murmured with confusion.

“I think most of these were made after the 70s,” I explained gently, my eyes lingering on a movie made in 2010.

Laurie nodded somewhat distantly. “Right…” she trailed off, probably feeling uneasy about the fact that we were all from different time periods.

A particular case was held up by Steve’s hand. “What about this one? I haven’t watched it. Have any of you?” Oh, it was The Notebook. I personally had never seen the movie, though it was one of the more classic romance films. We all shook our heads and Steve grinned in triumph. “Alright! Let’s watch it then! A nice romance film is never a bad thing.”

Nancy huffed out a laugh. “At least it’s not a horror movie.”

I collected the cases and put away the ones we didn’t choose. My hands were quick to remove the chosen DVD from the case and slide it into the player. I picked my soda back up and decided to make a place for myself on the floor with a pillow that one of the girls threw my way. There wasn’t any space on the couch, and I didn’t mind sitting down here. The others made an empty space with their legs so that I could lean against the couch and I settled down comfortably with my legs tucked underneath me. I pressed play and the group settled into comfortable silence as the movie began.

After a few scenes had occurred, the timer on the oven sounded out. “I got it!” Meg jumped up and bounded over me with her athlete-like grace. A few noises were heard before Meg came back with a few paper plates and the cut pizza. She settled the food and plates down on the coffee table and we all grabbed a slice and plate. I bit into the hot and doughy substance, closing my eyes in bliss for a moment as tomato and pepperoni flooded my tastebuds. It was very delicious.

The movie soon got us all hooked. The emotional scenes drew us in with a vice grip and once the end credits rolled, most of us were stunned. Meg was sniffling and so was Feng, and they held each other and tried not to cry. Laurie was as quiet as a mouse, holding her forearms and Nancy had a hand over her mouth. Steve didn’t seem affected much and he stretched his arms above his head. “Well, that was dramatic,” he commented casually.

A sudden wetness against my cheek made me recoil in shock. I didn’t even realise I was crying. Without thinking much, I leaned towards Steve’s knee and dried my eyes against his pants. The guy looked down as he felt movement against his leg. “Dang, Hailie, I didn’t know you were so emotional!” he chuckled at seeing my usually irritated self so vulnerable. “You women _love_ crying at romance movies. By the way, did you _really_ have to use my pants as a handkerchief?”

My brow raised at him while, simultaneously, Feng playfully sassed, “Oh, you did _not_ just insult all of us girls.”

Before Steve could react, she put the jock in a headlock from beside him, pinning him down. “What the – Feng!” Steve yelled in shock. Meg seemed to get the idea and she quickly took a hold of both of Steve’s arms in a playful rough and tumble. Nancy and Laurie eyed each other and with a laugh, they piled on top of Steve. I grabbed onto his legs and hung on tightly, effectively trapping Steve who was still struggling. Soon though, he stiffened from under the pile. “Ow! Nancy, your foot is against my –”

“I know,” Nancy replied in a sing-song voice, her heeled boot pressing a little more threateningly against Steve’s crotch. Steve quickly apologised, asking for mercy. Nancy relented and Steve playfully spat, “Well gag me with a spoon, my jewels were almost crushed.”

I burst out in laughter, and soon the whole room echoed with giggles.

* * *

_Third Person POV_

Danny was no stranger when it came to finding out information about someone. His skills had been honed to follow his victims and unearth all their secrets, routines and relationships. And as soon as he held all the information he needed, he would play around with his prey before gifting them a death that would surely gain fame while satisfying his wicked urges. He was rather good at what he did, he had to say, as was evidence of the Roseville police being unable to find him before he came to the Entity’s Realm. The victims in that town had also certainly been memorable for him and for his reputation as Ghostface.

It was with these skills that he used to his advantage to learn everything he could about the newest survivor he faced a few days ago. He had found himself feeling restless at the thought of her, even during moments where his attention was needed elsewhere. A couple of times he had messed up during trials thanks to his mind wandering to the dark-haired beauty. She had plagued his mind like an unstoppable force, and he had difficulty focusing his free time towards anything or anyone else. She drew him in like a moth to a flame…

A flame that burned so hotly that sparks would shoot out at the moth in concordance with the playful flutter of its wings. Though, the heat did not deter the moth one bit, and it instead hovered just out of the flame’s reach…waiting for the opportunity for the flame to fizzle out.

Similarly to that measly insect, Danny’s determination to know everything about little Hailie had paid off, and he had been able to gain information while she unknowingly relaxed. Thanks to his abilities, he had been able to sneak undetected into The Campfire realm much easier than the other killers, and he would spend a considerable amount of time watching the girl from the shadows. He had learned much from her this way, including which of the other survivors she was closer to. Hailie seemed to be especially suspicious in the beginning of Danny’s stalking journey, as her senses would alert her to the pair of eyes that would watch her in inconspicuous places. Though as time went on, she became less alarmed from the small noises the cloaked killer would unintentionally cause. Sometimes he even made noise on purpose and became silently amused at her startled state. It was incredibly fun to mess with her.

She was especially a treat for the eyes when Danny caught her changing clothes through the cabin window. Unashamedly, he had snapped quite a few photos of her bare body and often looked through them when he was alone at night. A few times, he had even touched himself to the images of her lovely feminine body. The little spitfire made Danny’s form feel much hotter than the generic girls in his dirty magazines could ever accomplish. He had even considered setting up his camera to record videos of her in the bathroom, though he had resisted simply because it was a lot riskier. The thought of getting off on a video of the survivor, however, often caused his appendage lower down to harden considerably.

To store all this information in one place, Ghostface had acquired a file folder from the memorial institute and had kept all his handwritten notes about Hailie in it. He had also printed some pictures of her, fully clothed, and taped them amongst the pages. The more intimate photos of her were kept in his room at the Dead Dawg Saloon, right underneath his pillow.

In fact, Danny’s attention was currently occupied on Hailie’s file. He was hunched over it in his seat at the saloon’s bar. His combat boot tapped against the leg of his stool as his eyes read over some of the notes he had adjusted earlier on during the day. It was a shame he was unable to watch her today – he had been the selected killer at the noon trial and had been spending the rest of his afternoon recovering. Perhaps later tonight, he would sneak into the realm of log cabins and watch her as she slept.

A bell rang out around the saloon and the Wraith appeared nearby. “ _Call for last rounds_ …” he announced in a hoarse tone, before hitting his wailing bell and disappearing once again. Danny simply ignored the loud sounds and continued reading his notes, not interested in getting another drink. His mind needed to be sharp if he was going to sneak around The Campfire later.

Various figures approached the bar and ordered their final drink for the night, walking away once they had received their alcohol. Most killers were thrilled that the Entity had provided them with all sorts of alcoholic bottles from the real world. The saloon’s realm was also a popular choice of hangout after the killers’ trials and almost all of them would pull through every night to relax after a hard day’s work. Danny didn’t mind this place too much, though sometimes it got a little too noisy for his liking. His room upstairs though was convenient to get to if he needed alone time, otherwise, he could always slip away to one of the other realms. It was also great that not all the killers slept upstairs; it was only him, the Twins and the Deathslinger that slept here. To Danny, it was perfect that way.

A shadow had covered Danny’s cowl and he peered upwards through his ghost mask. Freddy was leaning over him and the counter that separated them. “Whatcha working on, Johnson?” the burnt male asked him, glancing down at the open file. His clawed hand ran down the folder and tugged it slowly away from Danny with a claw, in an obvious effort to read what the masked killer had written.

Danny picked up Freddy’s glove by the leather and repositioned it away from the folder with a flair. He pulled the file back to him once again. “Nothing of importance, Krueger.” The stealthy killer hoped the dream demon would drop the subject…he didn’t want the others to learn of the information he had acquired from the girl he was focused on.

Freddy gave the younger man a warning glare, irritated that Danny had touched his weaponised glove. The male was curious over Ghostface though, as the figure clad in black was not acting his normal mischievous self tonight. Freddy had even noticed that for a few days now, every time he tended the bar, that Danny would be missing or sitting in the corner of the room with that damn file in his hands. The burnt male had never seen the playful killer so intensely focused on something before, and his curiosity was running ever high.

“C’mon,” Freddy tried to coax the man, trying to peer at the upside-down words from behind the wooden bar. “What’s got you so worked up, hmm?”

A distorted laugh slipped through Danny’s mask with a hint of exasperation. “Wouldn’t _you_ like to know?”

“I would,” Krueger confirmed. “You’ve been treating that file like it’s a bitching baby in need.” The roughness in his voice soon switched into one of a guileful nature. “I could just _look_ into your mind for myself to find the answer.” His hand adjusted the brown fedora atop his head as his beady eyes narrowed at the masked male.

Danny’s brow raised from under the mask as he glanced towards Freddy again. “I’m pretty sure you would have to enter my dreams first for that to happen at your convenience.”

Krueger’s smirk was full of smugness as he remarked, “Who says I haven’t already?”

Before Danny could carry out his dark thoughts of stabbing his sheathed knife into the arrogant male, the saloon door slammed open forcefully as a figure barged inside. Heads turned towards the sound, as did Danny’s, to see one of the Legion members rigidly making his way through the relaxed killers scattered around tables. From the smiley face mask and green jacket, Danny recognised it to be the leader of the group, Frank Morrison. The Legion members would often hang with Danny in their free time as they tended to get up to numerous shenanigans together. Even though Danny got along with Frank, he was more attention-seeking and confrontational than the other three members.

Frank grabbed the stool beside Danny and collapsed onto it, shoulders taut as he gestured to Freddy. “Double whiskey, neat,” the Legion leader grumbled to the burnt man.

His disrespectful manner of asking for a drink seemed to piss Freddy off. The dream demon barked out, “Bar’s just closed, boy. The last round was called a while ago.” Freddy’s words did nothing but simply alter Frank’s plans, and with impatience, the masked man reached over the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and an empty glass. He settled into his seat again and poured way more than a double shot into the glass. “Hey! You little son of a –” Freddy yelled out angrily and threateningly raised his knifed glove into the air, but he quickly got interrupted by Danny.

“ _Woah_ , easy Mr Bartender,” Danny tried to ease the tension, placing his gloved hand out in defence of Frank. “My brother here seems like he had a rough day. Cut him a little slack, would you?”

Slowly, the dream demon lowered his hand and his gaze flickered between the two masks. “Fine,” he growled out before heatedly gesturing a knifed finger to the tip jar. “But he better give me one of his offerings for the trouble.” Freddy gave one last glare at Frank, who had moved his mask upwards slightly to drink his whiskey, before turning his back to begin cleaning glasses.

Danny’s mask emitted a distorted sigh and he pointedly glanced at Frank. “You owe me for that.” Frank barely gave him a nod of acknowledgement before pulling his mask back down over his lips and jaw. Danny’s eyes widened as they flickered downwards. The whiskey in Frank’s glass was already finished. It was known that the young leader struggled to control his anger, but something seemed to have triggered him. Frank was particularly on edge tonight, even more so than when Danny saw him last week. “Okay, what’s up, man?” Danny asked seriously, closing the file and turning his full attention to him.

Upon hearing the seriousness in Danny’s tone, the Legion member groaned. The cloaked killer would likely not stop probing for an answer unless he was given one. Frank made eye contact with Danny. “I’ve been having sleepless nights for half a week,” he began, his rough voice becoming a little louder with emotion. “One of the female survivors really ticked me off a few days ago. She had the fucking nerve to hit her med-kit into my face and managed to knock my mask off.” Frank’s shoulders strained against the jacket as he recalled the memories, and the knife he had taken out of his pocket was held very tightly in his palm. “I’ve been thinking of all the ways I can sink my blade into that body of hers,” he finished darkly.

Danny couldn’t hold his seriousness for long. The built-in voice distorter made his laughter seem higher pitched and he smacked Frank on the knee. “How the hell did you manage to let her close enough to hit you?” Danny managed to get out, giggling more at the funny thought of the killer’s mask being knocked into the ground. Though, Danny knew if it happened to him, he would have probably been pissed as well.

Frank was not amused at all and he shoved Danny away from him. “Shut up. She seriously angered me. And she even managed to escape!”

Freddy maliciously laughed at the leader’s misfortune as he overheard him. “Serves you little fucker right,” he said under his breath but loud enough for him to hear. Frank’s fingers simply gripped the knife handle tighter in his hold and glared through the mask’s eyeholes at Freddy.

After calming down from his giggling fit, Danny sighed. “Yeah, I’ve also had my share of facing against a particularly feisty survivor.” What the hell, he may as well let his buddy know a little info about the girl that he had encountered. “I faced her near the beginning of the week at the Thompson House. We had a friendly chat before I pinned her down, though somehow, she found a wrench outta nowhere and hit my knee with it to escape.” The cloaked killer rubbed said knee. “I still have a bruise from that.”

A small pause ensued before Frank attentively asked, “What does she look like?”

That was a random question, though Danny thought that maybe the guy just wanted to be made aware of her. “Long dark hair, early twenties, grey eyes, average height and weight but she has very fine assets,” Ghostface practically purred, the girl’s curved flesh coming to his mind in HD quality.

“No fucking way. That sounds like the bitch I faced,” Frank asserted, his voice lowering as his temper made an appearance again.

This caught Danny’s attention immediately. Had little Hailie faced off against this Legion member? If it was her, it was certainly impressive that she had fought back in the aggressive manner that she did. Could it be attributed to a perk of hers? Danny’s mind was running a mile a minute with possible scenarios, and he knew with certainty that he needed to get as much information out of Frank as he could.

He originally didn’t want to share his knowledge of the girl with any other killers, since he was feeling a tad possessive over the survivor as of late. But since he knew that Frank wanted revenge on her, they could both gain something from looking at the notes together. Besides, Danny couldn’t deny that he thought of his work very highly and was bursting at the seams to show off what his superior skills had accomplished to someone. He didn’t care at the moment if Freddy or the others would overhear about what he was about to show to Frank – he needed any info that the Legion member had.

A leather glove fiddled with the file folder containing notes and pictures about Hailie. Danny held up a particular picture he had taken of the girl looking out her cabin window. “Is this her?” Danny asked, his voice giving away his eagerness.

Frank’s drawn-out stare was enough to confirm his murderous intent. He nodded once, tapping his knife’s blade against his shoulder. “That’s her.”

This caused a gleeful chortle to tumble out of Danny’s mouth. “Then you will like what I have gathered.” He thrust the open file to Frank, exposing the many notes and photos he had taken of Hailie. Frank looked down at the papers with interest, taking a moment to skim over some words and to analyse the pictures. His breathing became a little heavier as the object of his temper stared him right in the face. The cloaked killer beside him started bouncing in his seat. “Impressive, isn’t it?” Danny boasted with pride.

He could hear the smirk through Frank’s words. “This is perfect.” The sinister thoughts running through the Legion leader’s mind radiated through the air and Danny could almost feel the dark rush vibrating from the young killer. Frank was no doubt imagining the valuable usage in the knowledge he was looking at so that he could screw around with Hailie’s mind.

Though Danny hoped he wouldn’t fuck with her mentality too much – he still wanted a playdate with the minx’s sanity intact. With a plan in mind, he snapped the folder shut and promptly took it away from Frank. He placed it on the empty stool on his other side and turned back to the killer, who was now staring at him with displeasure. What, did Frank think he would share his hard work so easily without giving him something in return?

“How about this?” Danny coyly suggested with dramatic gestures of his hands. “You tell me everything that went down in that trial with the girl, and I’ll let you fully read my notes. With my observation, of course; I wouldn’t want you messing up my work.”

Frank let out a soft growl, impatient to read the notes and annoyed at Ghostface’s mischievous ways. “Deal,” he muttered with finality.

Danny almost salivated at this opportunity to learn more about the survivor. He had almost forgotten Freddy was still there listening until he let out a loud guffaw. “Ha! What, you two losers obsessed with some pretty survivor girl now? _How pathetic_!”

Like a switch, the playfulness within Danny instantly evolved into minacious, blackened energy. There were only so many insults he could take. He whipped his tactical knife from under his leather clothing and struck it into the bar top, where Freddy’s left hand had once been. The dream demon quietened upon seeing the change within the stealthy figure. “Fuck off, _Krueger_ ,” Danny snapped with a dangerously low voice.

The man in the red and green striped sweater grumbled moodily, glaring back at the scream mask. “Whatever. I was done cleaning anyway.” He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

“What a dickhead,” Frank remarked, his words slurring slightly. It looked like the whiskey was starting to hit him.

Great, Danny thought. Now Frank may not correctly relay the information he needed across to him. He pulled his knife out of the counter with a sharp tug and tucked it away once again. He turned to the stool that occupied the file…

Only to find that it was nowhere in sight.

“What the hell?” Danny exclaimed, his head turning everywhere in search of the notes he had worked hard on, but only coming up empty. “Where is it?!”

From the other end of the saloon, a tall figure had just exited the building. The door swung softly behind him as he silently made his way to the open exit gates. His large and calloused hands held a firm grip on the grainy surface of the file folder he had taken from Ghostface. His sharp mind ran through the conversation of the two killers he had been listening to from a table near the bar. They were so interested in that girl…was she really as defiant as they had described her to be? His breathing remained steady through the white latex mask as he glanced down at the file.

No matter, he would find out soon enough.


	4. Chaotic Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Hailie's 'bad character qualities' come to light, showcasing that she has flaws of her own like the other survivors. Also, she seems to be unable to keep her thoughts in order...especially when it comes to two masked killers...  
> A new force also emerges from the darkness...
> 
> Enjoy the chapter! :D

The sudden heartbeat in my ears was enough to propel me from my crouched position behind a stack of barrels. My cherry red Doc Martens slammed hard against the croaking wood in rapid succession as I weaved between the open area of the upper floor. The large wooden storage structure didn’t have too many places to hide away on the upper floor, unfortunately, and the pallets that were closest to me had already been broken by the killer.

I was expecting the hit from the hidden blade, but the sudden agony that tore through my upper back still made me cry out. The Pig behind me slowed down for a moment to examine her weapon, which allowed me to put some distance between us. I half stumbled down the sloping wooden planks and landed on the mud with a groan. An instinctual idea formed within my mind and I quickly fled to a darkened corner underneath the structure, keeping my eye out for the killer. I hurriedly tore my plaid overshirt from my body and threw it as far as I could, in hopes that the movement of the item of clothing would cause the female killer to investigate it instead of me.

No sooner had I thrown the shirt, the red stain covered the sloping planks as The Pig made her way down. Her masked head immediately snapped towards the shirt, which had fluttered to the sodden ground a few metres away. Quietly, I tried sneaking around a wooden wall in hopes that she wouldn’t spot me as she went to the shirt. But I hadn’t been as quiet as I liked – my boot landed in a particularly muddy spot, making a loud squelching sound. A curse flew from under my breath when the pig head turned to rest her eyes on me and raised her blade in preparation.

With not many options, I moved around the wall in a loop. The killer tried cutting me off as I moved to each side, and I anxiously listened for her movements. After a few seconds, we eyed each other out through a window in the middle of the wall. We mirrored each other’s side steps in synch, not wanting to give the other any advantage. The killer could have easily climbed over the ledge to get to me, but she merely copied my movements in a seemingly taunting manner. It was getting us nowhere, but at least it was buying some time for my teammates to get generators repaired.

To my surprise, she made a show of ceasing her movements and straightened upright. She lowered her armed hand and gave me a quick once over, the black hair upon the pig head swaying with the movement. I remained tense as I purposefully looked for any sudden movements that could come my way. The killer surprised me further when she spoke in a muffled voice through the pig mask, “You must be the fighter that they spoke of.”

My body slackened a little. “What do you mean?” I decided to voice my thoughts, my voice slightly shaken due to my uncertainty around the killer.

The Pig didn’t answer my question, though she must have sensed my confusion. Silence lasted for a few minutes before the killer spoke once again. “Just a word of advice; you should probably be careful around Ghostface and Legion.” Her tone of voice was laced with an edge of mockery while her unsettling gaze continued to study me.

Ghostface and Legion? What did they have to do with anything? On the contrary, they took up a lot of space within my thought processes throughout my days. I had been trying not to think of those memorable moments at the trials, but every now and then I would think back to the two killers. But what on earth was The Pig talking about? Why was she supposedly warning me against them?

My lack of concentration costed me dearly. The Pig had taken advantage of my muddled thoughts and lunged at me through the gap in the wall, managing to strike me down. I fell to the ground with a yell, feeling the blood across my chest drip into the mud beneath me. The female killer stepped over the ledge and stood over my form. She fiddled with something metallic before shoving a contraption onto my head. My body froze. It was one of her timed reverse bear traps. Without a word, she picked me up and placed me onto her shoulder, taking us out into the open air of the swampy ground of Blackwater.

I tried wiggling out of her hold while she moved, but soon I was dropped onto the ground. I landed with a painful thud and I looked around quickly. We were on the edge of the swamp, and there was a rectangular container in front of me. It was one of the boxes containing a game that we could play to hopefully remove the bear trap in time. A creepy black and white puppet sat atop of it, and my eyes widened. Why did she not hook me?

The Pig looked down at my weakened form with a strange pity. “Let’s see what you’re made of, fighter. Play the game and maybe you’ll live.” The female killer turned her back on me and disappeared.

I couldn’t comprehend why she didn’t simply hook me. Instead, she had been merciful and even brought me to one of the game boxes. But why? Was it linked to what she said about Ghostface and Legion, or was that just a ploy to make me lose my concentration at the time?

I continued to decipher my thoughts until a pair of hands came out of nowhere and began healing me. It was Zarina, a female survivor I wasn’t too close to but had spoken with a couple of times. Within an instant, I was revived from the ground and I stood up, clutching my wounds still. Simultaneously, the short-haired woman next to me held her side in pain as she became injured. I was confused for a second before I realised she had used her For The People perk on me.

My mouth opened to thank her for her generosity, but the beeping from the reverse bear trap caused me to freeze up. Zarina heard the noise too and ushered me closer to the game box. “Hurry!” she urged before taking off into the reeds with a limp. With urgency, I took a quick breath and shoved my hands into the game box. My fingers fumbled around the inside blindly while I tried feeling for the key needed to unlock the trap on my head. The timer slowly started beeping faster and my panic soared when the palms of my hands got cut a few times. A terrifying recorded giggling sounded from the puppet and I pulled my hands out and ran away. Damnit, it wasn’t the correct box! The Pig may have been merciful, but it would have been too good to be true if she had taken me to the right game.

The final generator sounded, and the exit gate panel’s auras shone through the darkness. My eyes only took in their location for a split second before quickly focusing on the white glow of another game box a little distance away. My legs began to ache as I hobbled as quickly as I could, and I instinctively ducked behind a rock when Élodie ran across my path with The Pig in tow. I waited for a beat before continuing onwards to the nearby game box. The beeping became much more pressing and my anxiety shot through the roof. I was desperate not to have my head grotesquely mauled. I would rather experience the hook than have my jaw ripped off by this trap.

I landed against the game box with a thud and once again played the game of blindly feeling for the key. I moved the various parts inside the container with shaking hands. There wasn’t any time to stop and compose myself – I was certain that the timer was almost up. To my dismay, one of the exit gates in the distance screeched open, triggering the endgame timer. Golden veins opened in the muddy ground beneath me. The timer on the trap was beeping incessantly now, signalling that I had a few seconds left.

My fingers grasped onto the object I needed, and I pulled the key out, unlocking the bear trap from my head and throwing it to the ground. My heart thudded painfully against my chest as I tried to comprehend the sheer luck I had just experienced. The beeping ceased completely, and I heaved a deep breath, clutching my chest in relief. I would definitely be counting my lucky stars tonight.

It was time to get out of here. I headed for the exit gates, hoping I was headed towards the one that was opened. My assumption was correct as the view of the open gates entered my vision. Everyone else, besides Felix who had been sacrificed, seemed to be there too…even the killer. Élodie fled through the invisible barrier and made it out, while The Pig slashed at Zarina, making her cry out and fall onto her stomach. But the momentum of her swing seemed to push Zarina past the boundary of the exit, and she happily crawled away into safety. I took the opportunity and ran straight past the female killer. She gave me a look through the eyeholes of the pig mask, one I couldn’t decipher, before I crossed the exit threshold. My eyes closed in temporary relief of an escaped trial before my body glowed golden. I dematerialised from the endless grasslands and felt my body shift through the air.

I didn’t have to wait long before my feet hit the ground of The Campfire realm. The glow left my body as I took physical form once again and I sighed as the adrenaline from the trial slowly relented from my system. Despite participating in many trials and experiencing just about all types of situations within them, my legs would always wobble from exhaustion after I made it back to the base realm.

In the distance, Zarina and Elodie were being healed with the help of the other survivors. I managed to catch sight of Felix’s blue shirt disappearing through one of the cabin doors, probably to rest after being sacrificed. Perhaps refreshing up inside the cabin would be a good idea.

Ignoring my wounds, I eyed out my cabin and climbed the steps gingerly. I opened the door to find Laurie reading a book on the couch. She glanced up and gave a wince when glancing at my wounds. “Need some healing?” she offered kindly, watching as I limped past her into the kitchen.

“Give me a sec,” I replied tiredly, opening the fridge and pulling out a cold bottle of water. I drank greedily and quickly, already feeling a bit refreshed. A content sigh escaped my lips as the coolness of the water helped a great deal to refresh me. I placed the empty bottle onto the kitchen counter while catching my breath. 

Laurie gave me a look of concern from the couch. "Bad trial?" 

My shoulders jerked into a shrug and I limped closer to her. "My jaw almost got mauled by a trap," I explained, falling onto the couch beside the girl in an exhausted state. My breaths evened out slightly, and I leaned my head back to rest against the pillow. 

The blonde nodded in understanding and sympathy. "Ah. That's one of the more gruesome death options," she muttered, placing her book down completely. Her eyes looked over my fatigued form. "Could you at least use Decisive Strike?" 

"No. I wasn’t hooked, thankfully," I replied. 

Since Laurie had been doing trials much longer than I have, she was able to teach most of the survivors her unique perk. We had become a lot closer after the movie night with Steve and the others, and also due to us sharing a cabin. The blonde had suggested the idea to teach me the perk once she had seen my great learning progress. I had managed to use Decisive Strike effectively only twice so far; once against the Blight and another against Hillbilly. Though, the chainsaw-wielding killer did not take kindly to the stun. I could almost still feel the sharp edges of the weapon searing into my flesh.

"Don't worry, you'll get them next time!" Laurie encouraged, throwing me a sweet smile. I really appreciated her friendship. There was something about the teenager that made her feel like family to me.

Responding to the feelings of warmth within my chest, I leaned over and wrapped an arm around Laurie in a hug. The wound across my back made me let out a wince though and I chuckled a little. Laurie eagerly hugged me back, being careful not to squeeze me too tightly in fear of hurting me.

We withdrew after a moment, and I instinctively knew Laurie could sense the sisterly bond strengthen between us. I began, "Thanks, Laur-" before light started engulfing my form. My eyes widened and I looked down at my glowing hands. It hadn't even been ten minutes, and I was being summoned to another trial? Again? I managed to catch Laurie giving me a gesture of good luck before I felt my body drift away from the cabin.

After a few moments, my feet landed on long tufts of grass. My body glowed for a bit before fading away as I was fully brought into this new realm. I looked around me for a few seconds, before recognising the area. I had only been to Father Campbell's Chapel once before, and I still didn't quite know the realm as well as I should. The thick mist surrounding the area caused a fleeting feeling of stress within me. 

With a start, I realised I was still wounded. What the hell? I struggled to reach to my back but when I pulled my hand away, sure enough, blood coated my fingertips. Shit! Starting a match while injured was never a good thing! Everyone usually healed each other immediately after trials had ended to ensure we didn’t go into more trials with fresh wounds. But I had been so desperate for a moment to relax that I now had a major disadvantage. I should have gotten healed by Laurie when I had the chance.

I hoped beyond all hope that I would be able to evade the killer for most of this match.

My teeth gritted against the pain across my upper back muscles as I snuck through the long grass. I tried my best to ignore the wound as I snaked around a few free-standing bricked walls. My eyes were flickering back and forth, looking for any sign of life or for any generators.

A locker door opening a few feet away made me jump in fright, but I managed to stifle my cry of surprise. Dwight stepped out of the locker, his hair looking messy and his striped tie half-undone over his white shirt. He noticed me and gave me a nervous smile. It was known that Dwight got a bit nervous in most trials and sometimes hid in lockers when his anxiety caught up to him.

I couldn’t blame him for being fearful – he was the first one who comforted me when I came to the Entity’s Realm and had been here the longest out of everyone. Though, I knew his anxiety caused some survivors to get irritated and caused him grief because of it. I gave the male an encouraging smile in return as he came closer to my crouched position. He joined my side and noticed my weakened state with shock. “Were you already hit by the killer?” he asked, eyeing out the bloody gash through the ripped fabric of my black tee.

My smile dropped. “It’s from my previous trial. I didn’t heal up on time.” I hated sharing my moments of failure with the others, but I knew at least one of the three in this trial would ask about it, what with it being so early in the trial and all.

Dwight gave me a sympathetic glance through his glasses and began healing me up without question. A small sigh of relief escaped me as I could feel the wound across my back slowly begin to ache less and less. Before the healing could complete, however, a rushed pair of footsteps sounded nearby. Dwight froze up and we turned to catch a glimpse of Quentin running past the small maze of walls with his head turned back to fearfully glance behind him. Without hesitation, Dwight and I crouched lower and pressed ourselves closer to the wall beside us, hoping the killer chasing Quentin wouldn’t spot us.

Oddly, I didn’t hear any terror radius or heartbeat. No footsteps were even audible. I looked to Dwight for any indication he knew what was going on, but his eyes were tightly shut in fear and he trembled slightly. I turned back to the gap through the walls and caught the brief sight of dark navy clothing before it disappeared. My muscles tensed and I waited a bit longer before gently nudging Dwight. We had to move from this spot; it wasn’t safe.

We carefully walked away from the walls and moved through the area. A few times I pushed Dwight’s hands away as he tried healing me completely, eventually threatening to leave him on his own if he pushed any more. He kept his hands to himself after that. I didn’t want my failure to heal before this trial to hinder my team. Besides, all five generators needed to be repaired still. I had no idea what the fourth survivor was doing, but hopefully, they were working on one.

Flashing lightbulbs caught my eye and I urged the anxious survivor beside me towards the generator. I placed myself on the one end while Dwight got to work with the metal components on the inside of the machine. We were relatively well covered here; a few thick trees shielded us from the rather empty area. If anyone took a quick glance in our direction, we might not be seen.

Without any effort, I felt my mind drift back to the previous trial while my hands settled into a comfortable rhythm of twisting wires. My thoughts lingered on The Pig’s words to me… _be careful around Ghostface and Legion._ Why would another killer warn me in the first place? Was she trying to be kind in her own way, additionally by leaving me on the ground near a game box? I didn’t really know those answers – if anything, Detective Tapp would be able to decipher her actions.

But there was a more pressing question for which I had no answer. How did she know that both Ghostface and the Legion member had interacted with me? Perhaps the killers spoke of their trials among themselves just as the survivors do, but part of me inwardly scoffed at the thought of those heartless killers sitting together and talking about us over tea. However, she had called me a ‘fighter’. More specifically, she said that I was the fighter that ‘they spoke of’.

An odd feeling then emerged inside my chest and my stomach dropped. Could Ghostface and Legion also have felt that strange connection in the trials? Is this the reason they were going around telling the other killers about me? Or…what if they somehow realised I had those somewhat…pleasurable…sensations during our first encounters? I don’t even know why I had them myself in the first place!

The generator before me blew up as I incorrectly shifted the gears around, immediately breaking my thoughts. I jumped back in fright, cursing myself for letting my mind wander far too much. Not even a second had passed before there was another small explosion from the machine, and this time Dwight jerked away. He looked at me sheepishly, giving me a mumbled apology for freaking out from the first explosion. I sighed and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. The male smiled at me a bit before his eyes shifted to look at something behind me. His face paled to a shocking white colour as the blood drained away fast. His mouth stammered a bit before he yelped in fear and took off, running away from me and the gen.

I didn’t need to turn around to know that the killer was nearby; Dwight’s reaction and the sudden raised hair on the back of my neck were informative enough. I pushed off the generator, breaking into a hobbled sprint to get away. My feet carried me in a different direction than Dwight had taken through the brick walls we had originally met up. Instead, I ran straight ahead out in the open. It wasn’t the smartest option, but all I cared about was getting away.

It was silent save for my breathing and footfalls against the ground, but I knew better than to stop running immediately. My eyes focused on the chapel that was now within reaching distance, and I instinctively leapt over a window ledge and into the building. I halted in my place and strained my ears to listen for any indication of movement. The thick silence was still surrounding me though, only broken by the indication of a generator repaired far away. My muscles tensed as I finally turned to look over my shoulder, and for a second my nerves spiked at the possibility that I was once again facing the stealthy Ghostface. But my vision outside the window gave no sign of life save for the dark mist surrounding the building. A breath rushed past my lips and I relaxed slightly.

More generators needed to be repaired. My mind sharpened in focus as I quietly moved through the wooden pews in search of the distinctive machines. There was one upstairs, but the healthy sound of gears and bright lights relayed that it had already been repaired. I walked through an archway out of the building and warily looked around. Through the mist in the distance, a figure ran between a few trees before disappearing. My movements slowed in hesitation. Was that a Legion member? Or one of the other survivors? I didn’t dwell too long on my thoughts – already they had interfered with my progress in this trial, as well as my injuries. I was a bit fatigued in general too…overall, I was not in the best state of mind to perform.

I carried on, ignoring my wounds as best as I could. My feet soon carried me to a strange area I had never seen before. Cheery music emanated around the small clearing, creating a playful atmosphere. It was as if I was in a sort of mini carnival – a few red and white striped stands and small tents were scattered around in a circle, some carnival games including Hit-The-Bell, a few archery targets set for shooting arrows, and there was even an animatronic fortune teller. I couldn’t help but feel somewhat captivated by the cheery imagery surrounding me. My eyes flickered between the beautiful colourful lights strung above me and the movements of the fortune teller. I stepped closer to the animatronic and inspected the figure while the joyous music transported me to days long past, where the prevalent smells of cotton candy and the safety of a larger hand holding my own through crowds had never failed to cause childlike elation within me.

My eyes connected to my reflection within the crystal ball in front of the fortune teller and glanced at the remaining smudges of mud from Blackwater. The eyes that stared back at me were glittering; the effect almost seemed like one winked at me. I shook my head and turned away, urgently pleading with my mind to focus on the main objective of repairing gens.

Tearing myself away from the centre of the carnival, I surveyed the area once again. A large red and gold caravan stood a couple of feet away, and I took a quick glance inside. It seemed like someone lived in here, but there wasn’t much I could use, and the chest I could have rummaged through was already empty. Luckily, I found an untouched gen just outside the caravan. I got to work on it and began to concentrate on fixing the gears. I jumped in fright though when a puff of hot air blew against the back of my neck. I whipped around in apprehension but soon settled down. A horse was laying down next to me, and it was sniffing me curiously. A small chuckle left me at its cute action, and I was close to reaching out to pet it. I quickly retracted my hand though – something was terribly wrong with this horse. Its entire body looked sickly as if it had begun to decay. Blackened flesh was visible in areas underneath its brown coat, and those pieces of flesh looked like they were coated with a sort of green slimy substance. The horse’s face was what made me recoil more. That same green slime was constantly dripping out the sides of its mouth onto the hay it lay on, and a third eye lay in the middle of its forehead. The eye creeped me out the most; a sort of ominous feeling overcame me as it stared at me.

I gulped the sudden lump in my throat as the horse moved its head away from me and I carried on working on the generator, trying to ignore that third eye still seemingly watching me.

The generator was coming along nicely – it was about halfway repaired. Two of the pistons along the top chugged quickly while I continued placing the mechanical elements inside in the correct positions. No one had even gotten hooked yet, it seems. It was a fantastic sign for the survivors. From what I could remember, there might only be three generators left. Perhaps we could escape this one, I thought to myself.

A loud neigh sounded behind me, making me twist the gears incorrectly. The gen exploded and I grunted in irritation. I really was doing so badly in this trial! Gingerly turning around, I gave a glare to the horse, as if to say ‘Did you really have to do that?’. But the animal’s decaying head was turned to the trees further behind me, looking at something past my line of sight. I frowned at this. Did something disturb it?

Slowly, I swivelled in my crouched position to better see the trees. The movement made my injuries ache a bit and I winced, holding my side to try and ease my muscles. I looked up again, trying to discern anything apart from the bushes and tall trees a few metres away. Nothing but the shadows of the trees and the surrounding mist seemed to be there. I rolled my eyes at the distraction, about to turn back to the machine beside me, when my eye finally caught something.

Just to the left of where I had been looking, behind a thick tree trunk, was a half-hidden figure.

A white latex mask was staring right at me, and I felt my blood run cold.


End file.
